In taking advantage of a spare ticket and arriving on Ellis Island, New York, on April 7, 1913, Conrad Bostron of Morgan County established a foundation for his family built on hard work, dedication and perseverance.

His hard work has not only led to many years in Morgan County, but earned his family of four generations the Watrous Outstanding Pioneer Family Award at the 60th annual Brush Rodeo.

The award, which has been presented since 1975, honors individuals and families who have been deeply involved in building the Morgan County community, while showing true pioneer spirit.

Members of the Conrad Bostron family were named as the Watrous Outstanding Pioneer Family at th 60th annual Brush Rodeo last week. Pictured with members of the family are, second row, Donald, age 78, Reinholt, age 86 and Reuben, age 90, sons of Conrad, who sailed to America from Russia in 1913 at the age of 18. (Iva Kay Horner / Brush News-Tribune)

According to the family, Conrad left a job in the flour mill in Franc, Russia, at the age of 18. After traveling to the United States aboard the SS President Grand and landing on Ellis Island, he proceeded west to work as a shirred hand on several farms in Morgan county.

On November 9, 1915, Conrad married Katherine Pabst and went to work at the Great Western Sugar Company for 12 cents an hour.

The Bostrons started farming on their own in 1917, eventually moving to a farm on the northeast corner of Brush where they not only farmed, but fed cattle and raised eight children consisting of five sons and three daughters.

As a farmer, Contrad took great pride. He planted the first edible beans in Morgan County for the Balcom Seed Company of Greeley, and was named to the High Ten Sugar Beet Growers several times.

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Bostron took pride in his farms by keeping them immaculate - much like Elitch Gardens as he would say. He also owned good equipment, along with nice horses. He once purchased a team of Clydesdales from a 16-hitch team at the National Western Stock Show, using the livestock to pull floats in the 4th of July parade in Brush for many years.

Conrad joined the German Congregational Church in 1915 where he served as trustee for 12 years and taught Sunday School for 10 years.

Teaching himself English, Conrad attended citizenship classes, becoming a United States citizen in 1938.

The Bostrons were very proud of their new country and the opportunities they were given, his family said. Over the years, all contact was lost with family in the Soviet Union and it was later learned that most family members had been executed in the uprisings.

Conrad and Kate lost one son and a daughter at young ages. The other four sons, Daniel, Reuben, Reinholt and Donald all entered the farming profession in Morgan County and remained in agricultural fields all of the life.

Daughter Helen Hoffman and Ester Sargent also were involved in agriculture as are many of the next two generations of Bostron descendants.

In 1963 Conrad retired from farming and in 1965, Kate passed away. Conrad remarried Blanche Sherrill in 1969. Conrad passed away in 1996 at the age of 102.

The family continues the tradition of contributing to Morgan County community over 100 years after Conrad sailed to America.

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